I would be grateful for any help with this picture

D

desny

New member
Hi,

I hope I was successful attaching my pictures...


scan0005 by desny12, on Flickr

This, I think, is a member of my family (great uncle) and I would like to know more about him, hopefully thanks to this picture I recently found while cleaning an attic. What is this uniform? What I know:
- he should be 43 years of age (born in 1875) on this picture;
- another picture mentions a photo studio in Leipzig where he could have been living before enrolment;
- he could have been an editor or a journalist in the civilian life;
- is he a soldier (at 43 years old and 3 children?) or a civilian in the K.u.K Kriegspressequartier (KPQ), or Korr.-Büro?.


scan0003 by desny12, on Flickr

Can this buckle close-up help any further?


scan0004 by desny12, on Flickr

Can this shoulder strap help?

Here is the text on the backside:


scan0007 by desny12, on Flickr

My transcription:
Mitau, Kurland 27.II.1918
Lieber Bruder u. liebe Maria!
Immer noch treibe ich mich als Kriegsmann in der Welt herum, recht und schlecht wie es eben die Verhältnisse mit sich bringen. Vor kurzem hat mich der Verbandsvorstand für die Redaktion der "Korr." reklamiert. In den nächsten Tagen wird es sich entscheiden. Ich rechne stark mit Erfolg und freue mich darauf, endlich aus diesem halbe...den (can't read this word!) Zigeunerleben herauszukommen. Sonst aber gesund und hoffnungsfroh für eine baldige friedlichere Zukunft.
Mit herzlichen Grüßen an Alle. Eur Bruder, Schwager, Onkel und Soldat im Osten.

Many questions! Looking forward to reading your comments. Any little detail could get me further. Thank you for your help.

Kind regards

Roland Schaeffer
 
Roland, he is wearing an M1915 Bluse, so that dates the photo after 21 September 1915 (or 31 March 1916 for Bavaria). the shoulder strap looks (I think?) to be a T7 which would be Kgl. Sächs. Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr.7 (Dresden) XII Armee Korps. Leipzig is very close to Dresden, so this could be his unit.
 
Tony,

Thank you for your help. With all the details you gave me, I could double-check with other pictures of this bataillon posted on the net by drakegoodman and the shoulder straps look identical. So, you hit it right on.

I don't see any Litzen. Is there a way to tell his rank from his cap?

Kind regards

Roland Schaeffer
 
desny said:
Tony,

Thank you for your help. With all the details you gave me, I could double-check with other pictures of this bataillon posted on the net by drakegoodman and the shoulder straps look identical. So, you hit it right on.

I don't see any Litzen. Is there a way to tell his rank from his cap?

Kind regards

Roland Schaeffer
Click to expand...

He has enlisted shoulder straps and there are no NCO insignia on his collar, so he appears to be a private.
 
Here is what the M15 enlisted strap looked like. Every example that I have seen from this unit have both the letter "T" and the "7" fashioned from cord, while all other units had the "T" and number chainstitched on.

Chip

 
Hello Roland,
I think the word you can not read is halbwilden.
Best
Gus
 
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